Blood on your lips
by Ebony Dagger
Summary: The car crash was just the beginning of my really bad day. The next thing was my boyfriend literally disappearing and then I was attacked by some disgusting monster. Honestly, could my day get any worse?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill

* * *

Johnny Cash crooned in my ears and I mouthed the words along with him as the steering wheel moved easily under my hands. Absently, I pushed my long, dark hair out of my face, yawning as I looked at my passenger. My boyfriend, Leo. I shook my head fondly as I realised that he was totally asleep; car rides always had made him tired. I pushed his too-long dark blond hair off his forehead and smiled at his peaceful expression, my eyes flickering between the road and his long lashes.

I frowned suddenly, the fog was rolling in awfully quickly, and I knew for a fact that we were nowhere near the sea or any rivers the fog could have come from. I dismissed the storyline starting to form in my head, something along the lines of the last horror movie I'd watched, and untangled my fingers from where they had become laced with Leo's to put both hands firmly on the wheel. I reached out to turn to the radio off as well, to keep my concentration intact; I hated driving in fog, snow, or any other vision-impairing weather because my glasses were really strong anyway and my eyesight was terrible in normal daylight.

But the radio seemed to have picked up another signal and was stuttering away merrily, blasting out static. I rolled my eyes and resolved to get it looked at as soon as I got home, but my mind was busy doing other things, tucking my current situation away to use in my next thriller...if we lived till then, because the fog was getting thicker. I slowed to a crawl and put my headlights and fog lamps on, trying desperately to light the way enough that I could see if I was going to run straight into a brick wall.

Unlikely, to say the least...but hey, it could happen. Rolling my eyes as my mind went off on yet another tangent (an aspect that many people, including me, found particularly irritating), I concentrated on the road, ignoring the static still emanating loudly from the stereo speakers, reaching into the backseat to grab my jumper and drop it over the speaker closest to Leo in an attempt to smother the noise so it wouldn't wake him. A futile attempt, as it turned out, because two things happened in quick succession, the volume on the radio increased to such an extent that my eyes watered and the car spun out of control, like something was wrenching the steering wheel.

I gripped the wheel as hard as I could, yanking with all my strength so we didn't spin off the road. Since the fog, I hadn't been able to see the edge of the road, so for all I knew we could be running parallel to the edge of a vertical drop. Nothing would surprise me now, I thought distractedly, still wrestling with the wheel. Finally I gave up and put my hands over my ears as tears streamed down my cheeks and we spun, out of control, until the car braked hard, or hit something, and we flipped. At the last second I remembered Leo and flung myself on top of him, hoping to protect him if it was the last action I ever took.

I had moved at the wrong moment; the car swerved and twisted again, and my head was jerked backwards, hitting the windscreen. I heard something crack and winced on my way out of consciousness...that was going to hurt later...

* * *

Yes it's short.

It's also a pilot, so please review and tell me what you think.

If you really must flame, go ahead but kindly remember that I've only just begun the second game and watched the film. Those being my only SH experiences, it's bound to be a little off.

"_If life hands you lemons, break out the tequila."_


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill, or Three Days Grace, or iPods, come to think of it…though someday I will. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

* * *

I woke up.

And promptly wished I hadn't; for one thing, there was a small figure bending over me and it stank to high heaven. Two, my head felt like someone had hit me with a tyre-iron, and after a second of disoriented groping, I realised that was exactly what had happened. The offending object had been sitting on the back seat and must have been flung forward in the crash.

The figure leaning over me had the priority though; that and the fact that I couldn't find Leo, hence I assumed he must be awake already. I looked up and tried to decide whether or not I should move, but decided first to address the small, cloth wrapped figure, long hair tangled and trailing in waist length rat's tails.

"He-hello." My voice cracked and I winced as my lips did as well, dry and parched.

The figure turned in a series of awkward movements and I tried to give her a welcoming smile, a difficult feat when lying in an upside down car feeling as though my head was going to crack in two.

She turned to me and spoke, "My daughter." Her voice was likely rusty metal, nails grating on a chalkboard, all those other clichéd phrases and more ran through my overworked brain as I winced away, clutching my head, only realising at this point that it bore a deep, bloody wound, probably from where I vaguely recalled hitting the windshield, the dashboard, and just about every other hard surface in my cramped little car. I saw the figure moving away and half of me wanted to call her back, to ask her to stay with me so I wouldn't be alone, but the other half whispered darkly, _You don't know if she's completely crazy, for all you know she could go psycho and try to kill you._ Nothing seemed impossible at this point and I wanted to know, I needed to know where Leo was.

Now came my next challenge; getting up.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out and dragged myself painfully and awkwardly out of the steaming wreck that less than twenty-four hours ago had been my baby, my blue Ford Fiesta. I bit my lip, surprised at the pain. I stood gingerly and staggered away from the vehicle, wincing as the leg of my jeans caught on some protruding object and tore loudly. I shook my head and immediately regretted it, as my head spun and the world twisted sickeningly. I sat down suddenly, knocked off balance, and decided it would be wise to permit myself a brief moment or two to recollect my thoughts, restart my breathing, and wait until my stomach wasn't performing gymnastic flips without my permission before soldiering on.

I probed my face carefully, wincing when I discovered a cut clotting right across my forehead and down to my left cheekbone and already I could feel the slight stinging and swelling that announced bruises would appear shortly and transform most of my body to hues of the rainbow. But before I could mourn the pattern of bruises my body would be sporting for the next few weeks, I had to find Leo. Tugging my hair from where it was beginning to stick to the cuts, I winced as matted curls fell in rats' tails around my face, completely obscuring my vision. Pulling all my hair back into a loose ponytail, I secured it so it hung down my back, then realised the glasses I was still, miraculously, wearing only had one lens. Swearing under my breath, I got down on my knees and crawled back into the wreck of my car to retrieve not only the lens, but my bag containing my purse and iPod, but my phone, unfortunately, was lying on my desk at home. Typical!

Shaking my head a little to clear the last of the cobwebs, I set off walking in the vague direction of some houses I thought I recollected seeing whilst hanging upside down being asphyxiated with a seatbelt. So...they might be a hallucination, of course, but it was my best option.

The misty fog was still present, but as it seemed to be daylight now (and my watch read almost seven o'clock in the morning), I could see a lot better than last night.

* * *

An hour or so later, I arrived, sweating a little though the air felt cool against my exposed skin. The thin cardigan, black tank and dark jeans I wore weren't enough to keep me warm, though they covered me decently enough.

It hadn't been a hallucination after all; there was a whole town here. But there weren't any signs saying 'Welcome to...' or anything to define it at all.

Suddenly it began to snow, but as I held my arms out in the air, it didn't seem cold enough. Then one of the 'snowflakes' touched down on my outstretched palm and as I rubbed it between my fingers it dissolved into dust, leaving smudges of soot on my pale hands.

"Ash." I breathed, and shook my head. This wasn't a good place to be, hostility radiated from everything, from the dilapidated buildings to the wire fences surrounding a unit of some sort. I bit my lip unconsciously and wondered where to start looking for Leo. He would most likely be looking for me as well, so if there was a school, a church or a library, that's where I would begin my search.

Pushing stray curls out of my eyes, I picked a direction at random and started walking, biting my lip and hugging myself, though it wasn't really cold. I walked for a little while, maybe half an hour or so, though the fog was so thick that only my watch could tell me how much time had passed, and even that seemed to be a little...off. Despite the fact that I was sure it had taken me nearly an hour to get here from the wreck of my car, it still said only a quarter past seven, and that did worry me, along with the fact that the hands were stuttering and even, at times, going backwards, though I was positive I had changed the battery only a few weeks ago. I shook my head; this town was weird, and the sooner I found Leo and got the hell out of here, the better. Easier said than done, I guess.

I glanced absently at the ground as I walked, then stopped and turned around, retracing my steps for a few metres before stopping dead as goose bumps erupted on my arms. I stared down at the smear of crimson drying a dark brown on the road, clear even through the fog. Damn it, I tried to convince myself that no, it was _not_ blood; it was an old paint spill. What a stupid notion; it was the silence and this town's creepy atmosphere getting to me. Shaking my head, I quickly inserted my earphones to drown out the silence pressing on my ears. Turning Three Days Grace up high, I sang along softly and glanced around the empty road as I walked, then spotted something. It wasn't Leo, just a bus shelter, but in the nice little world of reality in which I resided (most of the time), generally bus shelters had maps on them. Running towards it, I skimmed it quickly, and smiled genuinely for the first time that day. There was a church, looking as though it wasn't too far from here and a school too.

Biting my lip, I quickly committed the directions to memory and looked up as I heard a noise. First, a screaming, wailing siren that vaguely reminded me of something out of the Second World War film, Minnie's, they used to call them, that warned of bombing raids. After a minute or so it faded, and I dismissed it as my ears playing tricks on me or maybe something had gone wrong with my iPod.

Then, all of a sudden, I heard footsteps. Finally, something human!

Glancing around, I saw a tall shadow heading away from me, quickly being swallowed in the mist. I straightened up, narrowly missing hitting my head on the metal cross that attached the bus map to the shelter. Disregarding that, I ran after the figure as fast as I could, but as I reached it, it just...disappeared. I stopped, panting, and looked around. What the heck? I'd been positive I'd seen it, but...

The mist swirled around me, leaving me isolated and alone once again.

I swore loudly, just to hear the sound of my voice and ascertain that there was still a slight chance that I wasn't dead and this wasn't hell. Suddenly there was a shuffling sound behind me, and I turned, thinking the person that had disappeared before must have just gone round a building and come in a circle, missing their way.

I should be so lucky.

No, what faced me at this moment was what looked like a naked, armless corpse. Vomit rose in my throat as I stared at it, and the smell! Somewhere between an old abattoir and a compost heap, it was so strong that my eyes watered.

But that wasn't the worst of my problems. My vision, clouded as it was by the fog and the smudges of ash on my glasses, still managed to pick out the second skin on the thing splitting open with a sickening ripping sound, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

Something spurted out of the rip, and I didn't even want to know what it was, but given the sticky appearance and the steaming holes it left in the pavement, I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be great for my complexion, so I turned and ran.

I heard the slapping sounds of feet in pursuit, and I turned to glance over my shoulder, but the mist had closed in again, blocking off my vision.

I swore under my breath and turned, only to run smack into another one of those creatures.

I cried out with revulsion and repressed my automatic gag reflex as I clambered to my feet, frantically scrubbing at my hands where they had touched the creature's flesh, which was covered in some sort of slimy coating, a little bit like sweat, but it seemed to ooze rather than trickle. Almost like blood, but completely colourless.

I backed away as the thing's skin split open again; having staggered to its feet it was attempting to melt me with that acid and I wasn't having any of it.

I put all my fear and frustration into my move as I kicked, a clean roundhouse kick straight into the thing's gut that sent it reeling blindly. Unfortunately, contact with the thing's skin seemed to have melted the sole of my shoe, and then I realised that the acid was still eating away at the shoe, moving further up. I ripped it off and flung it at another approaching creature, before running away, one shoed, into the mist, hoping to find somewhere to hide.

Was Leo even still alive in this crazy place?

I set my teeth as I ran, ignoring the gunk my brightly coloured sock soaked up as I ran through only goodness knows what. But goodness obviously didn't know what, because this place had to be hell. I couldn't leave; I had to find him, no matter what the consequences.

* * *

Thanks to my first reviewers:  
- define-originality  
- Leolexosdarkfold

And just to answer the latter's request, go and read his SH fanfiction too; Ashes and Ghosts, it's amazing.

Please review, as always.

"_You will be a winner today. Pick a fight with a four year old."_


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Silent Hill, more's the pity.

* * *

When Leo awoke, it was dark.

Not just dark, like his room at night, but pitch black, silent, inky dusk.

He sat up sharply, regretting it immediately when his head collided with something flat and wooden, which let out a low thud when his skull made contact with it.

He swore loudly and reached out blindly into the darkness, attempting to create a mental map of his surroundings by touch. Unfortunately, all he could feel was a long, flat wooden surface above him and a cold floor, concrete by the feel of it, beneath him.

Giving up the hopeless task, he tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he could recall was falling asleep to the sound of Elise's soft singing as she drove them home, the feel of her hand in his as consciousness drifted away from him.

That was all, he thought.

But...wait. No, there was more. Later, he had woken up in a wreck of a car, Elise's car, but she wasn't there. Her door had been open and her seatbelt had been loose, so he had, at the time, assumed she had gone to the nearest town to get help and had staggered painfully out of the car, getting tangled in his seatbelt, banging his head on the underside of the upturned car and finally falling out onto the concrete verge and scraping both his knees.

He had lain on the concrete for a while, then decided there was no point Elise bringing back help only to discover that he'd been turned into a human pancake by a passing car. He had stood slowly and stretched, before taking a look around and deciding that there must have been civilisation fairly close by, or else Elise wouldn't have left him alone.

Shaking his too-long hair out of dusky grey eyes, he glanced around and, seeing the tyre-tracks burned into the road, ascertained that the way they had come was probably not the right way and turned around on the single road to head off.

A while later (his watch had broken and he had neglected to replace it, an action he regretted now) he saw houses, shrouded in a pale grey mist. Low to the ground and with the squat builds; it looked like an industrial town, maybe a coal mining one. But there was no human life at all.

Running a hand through his hair, Leo wondered what to do. He could do a door-to-door search, but how long would that take? And given the deserted appearance of the town, it looked like the public services could be a potential problem to find, so if this was indeed where Elise was, then finding her and then finding help looked like he had an interesting day ahead of him.

Well, he could try the library or the school, maybe even the church if there was one, because he knew Elise and Elise knew him, and that would be where he'd go if he was waiting for her. Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair again, a habitual gesture that made it stand on end, and set off to look for a map, or a sign.

Maybe half-an-hour later, he came across a huge sign; Welcome to Silent Hill. He wondered who called a town Silent Hill. It couldn't be that silent if it really was an industrial town. But as he walked along the first street he realised. There was nothing, no sound except for his own too-loud footsteps echoing back at him off the white painted buildings. The mist persisted and he smiled, knowing Elise would be moaning about that. Suddenly snow was falling all around him, and he cocked his head, confused, catching one of the snowflakes and feeling surprised as it didn't feel cold, or melt in his warm hand. Then he rubbed the fingers of his other hand over it and it crumbled in his palm, leaving nothing but a tiny pile of dust and a smudge of soot on his fingers.

Ash.

Huh, that was weird, he thought.

Walking onwards, he saw more flakes of ash swirling in the non-existent wind and suddenly there was a shadow on the road a few yards on front of him, the mist swirling around it. It was definitely female, the skirt shape and long hair proved that, but who could it be?

Running after the figure, he stumbled and fell on the uneven road and when he looked up the figure had disappeared, swallowed by the rags of fog that reeled drunkenly through the air.

"God damn it!" he swore loudly and sprinted into the mist, heedless of where he was going, determined only to catch the first person he had seen in this place.

Suddenly the figure was visible again, long hair swinging past her shoulders. Just as he was convinced he was about to feel material beneath his hands as he reached out to her, she turned to face him.

But it wasn't Elise.

He frowned, disappointed, but someone was better than no-one, right?

Holding his hand out automatically, he smiled as she shook it uncertainly, "Hi. I'm Leo."

"Um...Emilie. Are you lost here?"

"Well," Leo paused; how much should he tell her? Then, throwing caution to the winds; he did need her help after all, he continued, "I'm looking for my girlfriend, tall, long black hair, lip ring. Seen her on your travels?"

Emilie shook her head and suddenly looked very much like Elise, despite the flowery skirt and ramrod straight hair that contrasted so fiercely with Elise's floaty curls and dark jeans.

Leo shook his head to dislodge the image of Elise that his mind had superimposed over Emilie's own face and asked, "So, what brings you here?"

"Oh," she exclaimed lightly, "Nothing much. I knew this town as a girl and i wanted to visit again, only..."

"It had turned into a ghost town full of ash, yeah?" Leo finished grimly.

"Well...yes." she nodded, then frowned, "Well, strictly, that's not true."

Leo cocked his head, curiosity winning over caution as he asked, "Which part?"

"Um..." she bit her lip a little, and again Leo was struck by her similarity to Elise before she blurted, "It's full of monsters."

Leo couldn't help it, he laughed. In this Silent Hell that was the funniest thing he had heard today and he laughed until he was gasping for breath and had to sit down on the cold pavement behind him. Emilie stared blankly at him for a moment before anger filled her dark blue eyes, "I'm not lying!" she whisper-shouted, fists clenched.

Leo sobered up immediately, "I know. I'm sorry; it's been one hell of a hectic day and, well, yeah."

Suddenly footsteps behind them interrupted their conversation. Leo turned, expecting another person to walk out of the fog, but instead, a shaking, staggering silhouette tumbled out of the mist. Leo jumped up from the pavement to go to the figure's aid, but Emilie yanked him back with surprising strength for such a small figure, but then, Elise was strong as well...

Emilie's voice, low and harsh with fear, jerked the young man back to the situation at hand and he glanced into Emilie's sea-blue eyes, then up at the approaching figure. He shook the smaller woman off his arm impatiently and advanced cautiously, then reeled backwards as the fog cleared, revealing a horrific figure, or maybe two, they were so intertwined they seemed almost merged together...then Leo realised that's exactly what they were, almost Siamese twins, but when did Siamese twins have only one arm-appendage between them, reaching and grasping at the air in front of it. Obviously blind and with its skin hanging in bloody strips, there was no obvious way of defining its gender, and with the horrific noises of mangled pain and agony emitted without a mouth, Leo decided not to hang around.

Turning on his heel, he made his way smartly back to Emilie, hearing her shriek of, "Duck!" almost too late.

Dropping instinctively to the ground, he rolled onto his back in order to shuffle away and keep an eye on the creature at the same time, only to see it spew a disgusting, sticky gunk straight at him out of some orifice that Leo didn't even want to consider!

The gunk stuck like glue where it landed on him, and though it was warm it didn't seem to have any other effect. But suddenly Leo started to feel sleepy, the adrenaline draining from his veins, leaving him limp and sapped of strength. Emilie's warning cry went unheeded as his drifted off, nothing seeming to matter anymore, even the piercing siren that sounded felt far away and unimportant; simply an annoying insect buzz in the back of his mind.

* * *

_"Life is rather like a tin of sardines - we're all of us looking for the key."_

**Please re  
view, it m  
akes me h  
appy. Just pres  
s that button.  
Yes, that  
one  
.**


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill...

_Italics are dreams or memories._

* * *

I nibbled my lip, wondering what to do. I was limping badly now, adopting an awkward rolling gait, because the concrete road and my one-shoed state were taking their toll and my ankle was swelling badly. I was lost because my normally stellar sense of direction had been turned completely upside down, and it was getting late.

I had learned some things though, like how the siren seemed to summon the creatures and that there were varieties, with different attack patterns and what could be considered either defensive of offensive tactics. The scientific half of my brain was fascinated and wondering how the varieties occurred within such a small ecosystem, the deeper, more basic part of me was simply wondering when I was next going to eat and how the hell to get out of this place alive.

Covering my mouth as I coughed on the ash-laden air, I shook my head as I rounded yet another corner, but then..."Score!" I smiled happily, as there, across the square stood a towering church, recognisable by the soaring steeple and elegant cross on the top. It was a Church of England church but I wasn't complaining; any church was sanctuary for me right now. Breaking into a lopsided run, I pelted towards the huge oak doors at top speed (which, in my current condition, wasn't especially fast). Stopping, breathless, at the other side of the square, I grabbed the handle and pushed. With a grating sound that made me wince, the door swung inwards and I almost fell down the small downwards incline that led to a peculiar dip in the floor, a square about ten paces by eight, sitting in front of the altar, almost like a...no, I wouldn't even go there. It looked nothing at all like a sacrificial trough or anything along those lines, I assured myself firmly.

Sitting tentatively on one of the many pews, I nibbled my lip and wondered what to do. It was unlikely that there was going to be a map in the church but it was worth a try, and I might find something I could use as a weapon. I winced at this last blasphemy, but I was sure God would forgive me...well, pretty sure.

Still chewing fervently on my lip, I stood up and walked vaguely in the direction of the altar, genuflecting respectfully before straightening up and heading to the back of the altar where the vestibule usually was. Sure enough, when I looked inside the door all the robes the vicar wore were there, along with a ridiculous number of candles and matches and the snuffer, a metal head on a long wooden handle. I smiled triumphantly and promptly began filling my pockets with candles and matches, then grabbed the snuffer and turned to leave. I shrieked and jumped away as I came face to face with the back of the door I had entered by, only it was covered in blood, both old and new. The newest was still dripping slimily down the wall. Breathing shallowly, I tried to keep myself from hyperventilating, measuring my breathing to the ticking of the clock. Five ticks in, five ticks out...

...clock?

There wasn't a clock in the room.

Dreading what I would see, I turned around slowly, opened my mouth to scream...and passed out cold.

* * *

_**~Leo~**_

Leo turned suddenly; had he just heard a scream?

Emilie laid a warm hand on his arm and he jumped and turned to her, a quizzical expression on his face, "Did you hear that?"

Emilie shrugged, "Hear what?"

Leo opened his mouth and closed it again, puzzled. He had been so sure he had heard a shriek, but maybe it was just wishful thinking? He shook his head and turned back to Emilie, who was impatient, champing at the bit as she strode ahead. Lost in his own thoughts, Leo didn't realise until it was too late that the young woman was far away from him, slender figure lost in the fog, and suddenly, there _was_ a scream, unmistakeable, breaking the silence.

Leo set off at a sprint into the fog, heedless of where he was going, focussed only on reaching the source of that heart-wrenching scream.

_Elise laughs carelessly as she runs ahead on the stony path, dark hair loose and flowing round her body. For once she's wearing a dress, the long, tiered black skirt ebbing and flowing with her movements, giving quick peeks at her long white legs as she moves._

"_Come on Leo." She's facing him now, offering him a hand which he eagerly takes and they run up the steep incline together, laughing breathlessly as they reach the top and stand up to see a perfect clearing set in the trees. Elise sets off, running, feet barely seeming to touch the ground, losing a shoe but not even stopping to worry as she laughs, the joyful sound of her voice echoing through the trees._

_Suddenly there's a breathless half-shriek breaking through the peace and Leo looks up, sprinting towards the sound, stumbling over rocks which seem to have suddenly appeared in his path as he runs frantically. Suddenly he clears the rise which has hidden Elise and his mouth opens. Elise is lying on the ground, a long scratch across her cheek where she has obviously fallen and hit a stone, but in her arms is a wounded fox, bleeding from gaping wounds in its chest and belly. Elise is coddling it, cooing in its pointed red ear despite the long scratches it is leaving on her arms as it tries to escape. He pushes his hair back from his sweaty forehead and walks to her side, smiling worriedly as she glances up with a glowing smile illuminating her features._

"_Leo," she breathes, smiling and then wincing as she attempts to shift her weight, "I think—I think I've broken my ankle but look, he's so beautiful!"_

_Leo feels his mouth open and shut in astonishment, before he simply smiles and bends to lift Elise and the fox to carry them back to the car and get to a hospital and a vet._

Leo came to, kneeling in the middle of the road, head cradled in his hands. He missed her so much, so why didn't he just give up and think about her?

_Remember_, a voice whispered the suggestion seductively in his ear and suddenly he realised that there was something else going on here. Something is trying to weaken him, making him want to give up. The compulsion turned his limbs to water, but it became easier to bear as he struggled to his feet, determination to find her renewed, and now that he knew something was trying to mess with him, he was going to stick close to Emilie and find Elise, then get the hell out of here.

Emilie!

In all the confusion and mind-games, he'd completely forgotten about the scream he'd heard. Damn it, that had to have been her. Something had managed to get her, and Leo wasn't planning on letting it keep her for long. Even if he didn't know her, she was the only human he knew here, and he couldn't just stand by idly whilst she was...what? Kidnapped, dismembered?

Distant visions of bad horror movies flickered through his mind and he shuddered, pushing his hair back and setting off at a punishing pace into the gloomy mist, scanning around for any sort of weapon as he walked.

* * *

It's a bit shorter than I'd like it, but writing as a boy is more difficult than it looks, and I've rewritten so many parts that sound 'girly'. Any tips are welcome. ^-^

Forgot to say last time, thank you again to define-originality and my two anonymous reviewers for your reviews

And keep reviewing and I'll keep updating ^^

"_Death is nothing to us, since when we are, death has not come, and when death has come, we are not."_


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I still do not own Silent Hill, although one of these days, when I pass all my exams (a miracle may occur)...

* * *

I stood slowly, pain wracking through me as I attempted to sit up. I had broken so many limbs over the years that the lesson _The slower you get up, the less you're likely to injure something else_ had been drummed firmly into my skull, despite the fact that that seemed to be the centre of my pounding head and the pain that seemed to issue from it in steady waves, making me nauseous.

Attempting to stand was maybe a bit adventurous, because not only did I end up sitting down painfully on the hard stone floor, the sudden jolting motion upset my already rolling stomach and I leaned over to throw up messily on the step below. Bile stung the back of my throat and tears came to my eyes, self-pity overwhelming me. _It's only Leo; he'll be fine on his own. You have to worry about yourself. Get yourself out and then run and don't ever come back_. A sneaky voice whispered poison in my ear but I shook it away, wondering where all my determination had gone. I was stronger than this, and where had the thought of abandoning Leo sprung from? A cold hand of fear wound its way slowly up my back to constrict my throat; this place was messing with my deepest self, cowardice rising to the surface and old scars reopening. I wouldn't do what he had done so long ago; I could never hurt a human being so much.

Pushing away the morbid thoughts and dark memories making a bid for the surface, I swallowed hard and had another go at standing, fuelled by renewed determination. This time I succeeded, though sweat was running down my neck from the effort and I was clinging desperately to a pillar. For the first time, I glanced around to absorb my surroundings. I must be in a different part of the church, because although the decor was similar, the stained walls and draperies in the same style as before, now I was standing at the top of a staircase and directly across from me was a vivid depiction of a burning girl, young enough that she could still be called a child. I bit my lip and wondered had I walked into a church full of psycho-killer believers. But no, that couldn't be the case because this town was completely empty from everything I had seen so far, apart from that weird little woman...

Hm, I pondered for a moment, and then looked around for my snuffer, suddenly remembering my desperate motions as I frantically collected candles, the blood on the door, the ticking of the clock that didn't exist, turning around and...I sank to the floor as agony spiked through my head, clutching it in both hands, trying to make the pain stop. My mind went blank but though the world went fuzzy and white noise edged the corners of my vision, I flatly refused to faint again. As the pain faded, I tried once again to probe gently through my memories, to see what I had seen then, in the split second before my eyes had closed in unconsciousness, what had I seen?

Slowly, I edged around the memory and then I seemed to _peek_ into my own memories. I bit my lip to keep from shrieking out loud as a vision of indescribable horror hit me. A metal triangle posing as what would be a head on any human and so tall, or was that just from my perspective, lying on the floor? Robes, or maybe rags, all stained dark red and brown, the colour of dried blood. But the aura it emanated was the worst thing about it, a mixture of hate and anger, fury at the world but also an overwhelming sadness. Then I realised with a jolt, it had to be human. Nothing else in the world was this muddled, this confused, and nothing else could hold such deep hatred but still have other emotions. Demons, maybe, but surely they couldn't hold the other emotions? I questioned my judgement for a moment; was I really contemplating the existence of demons? Then, abruptly, the horrors I had faced outside of the church returned to haunt my mind and I shook my head; anything was possible in this place.

Suddenly I recalled one other pertinent little detail, accompanied though it was by a sharp stab of pain. A knife, a huge knife held lightly in one bony, slender wrist; for all his huge stature, the man-thing was surprisingly slim.

I bit my lip and wondered what to do now. Picking a direction at random, I began to explore my surroundings, wary at all times for movement, and anything that moved was my enemy, as of now, because, to be honest, everything that moved so far had tried to kill me. It was a safe policy.

A few feet ahead of me lay my snuffer, the one that I must have dropped when something...I was so stupid!

I hadn't woken up in the same place I had been earlier, therefore something had moved me. Judging by the triangle-headed thing, I guessed that no humans were hanging around unless they were hanging by their necks, so obviously this place wasn't impregnable to non-humans, therefore meaning that I had to get the hell out of here and find somewhere less open. Staggering towards it, I checked briefly for traps and, finding none, leaned down woozily to grab it. Using it as a cane, I half fell slid, half slid down the stairs in my rush and suddenly I was face-to-face with something so horrific, my mind couldn't even comprehend what it was, or what it had been, who-knows-how long ago.

What I was staring at, my mind slowly allowed me to comprehend, was the remains of a human being, or maybe two. The—_remains_—barely resembled anything that had once been human, ruined as they were. They were just mounds of flesh, decaying already by the smell, but they looked somehow _burnt_ rather than rotting, with stinking blackened patches here and there, though only certain places were burned, which was interesting. It looked like torture, but these people had to have been dead when they were turned inside out, surely.

None of the internal organs, I suppressed my automatic gag reflex at the horrific smell as I leaned in to check, were present, so whatever had turned this, or these inside out had been intent on removing their internal organs. Suddenly one of the mounds quivered. Shock and fear overcame sickness as I straightened up sharply, backing away in a defensive crouch, brandishing my snuffer in as threatening manner as I could manage what with the scent of decaying flesh, my head spinning crazily from my sudden movement, and the, to add to the commotion in my already abused and pounding head, that damned siren went off again. Sick generally of life, I stood up and screamed at no-one in particular, "Shut the hell up!"

And then the siren stopped.

I paused for a moment, forgetting the quivering piles of flesh and the disgusting trials I was sure to face sooner rather than later, and laughed. I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks because for a moment, it seemed as though maybe one thing would go right for me, because the constant pounding in my head had lessened, I had a weapon in my hand, and I was about to beat the crap out of the freaky monsters.

I pulled a face; this was too much like one of Leo's (and my) video games to actually be reality.

Suddenly movement brought me back to reality. The creepy flesh-monsters were crawling awkwardly towards me and now I was certain there were two of them, because although they moved in exactly the same way, limbless and half-rolling, they moved separately. Whirling away as one rolled towards me, I smacked the other one hard (I couldn't tell where to hit it to cause the most pain because to be honest, it was just a globule of flesh) with the sharp point on the metal head of the snuffer. The other one was behind me, and suddenly it knocked me forwards, catching me off guard. I tumbled gracelessly to the floor, catching my knee hard on the edge of a pew. Swearing under my breath, I scrambled to my feet and held my breath, wondering if they actually had eyes or sensed prey (it was rather frightening to think of myself as 'prey') through other means. The one that had knocked me down turned towards me as I shifted my weight slightly and I decided that they must have ears in there somewhere. Backing between the rows of pews, I deliberately made my footsteps loud and clumsy and it rushed towards me like a bowling ball, probably with more force. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to wait until it was almost upon me before grabbing the edge of the heavy wooden pew and pulling it over, crushing the creature with the top, dividing it in two. Blood, or the equivalent fluid, spurted out, spattering my face.

_I will not throw up_, I swore silently, but then the creature gave a loud groaning noise and blood and thicker things seeped along the cobbled floor towards me and I broke my resolution immediately, bending over and vomiting noisily everywhere, though thankfully avoiding my shoes. I looked up warily, expecting the other creature to have used the distraction as an opportunity, but no, it was still and silent on the other side of the pew. Approaching as silently as possible, I stood well away and did possibly the stupidest thing of my life; I reached out and prodded it gently with the tip of the snuffer. Leaping backwards, I readied myself for another fight, but it simply lay there, its 'body' limp and still, the stillness of death. I realised that the two must have been joined by some mental connection and so by killing one, I had disposed of both.

But there was no triumph, only sickness and sadness. When had I become a killer?

I didn't want to answer that question now, so I pushed it to the back of my mind, glancing over my shoulder and backing away slowly, unwilling even now to turn my back on the creatures.

Finally making it to the church door, I pushed it open with my elbow, glancing outside to assure safety, then taking a last look round the church and biting my lip. There had to be something wrong with this; churches were supposed to be safety, sanctuary.

Stumbling out of the holy place like an excommunicated heathen, I wondered what to do. Then I remembered my plan; church, library and school. The church had been a no-go, so I set my jaw and started off in the direction of a squat, brick building, resolving not to give up until the creatures ate me or I found Leo...preferably the latter.

Automatically, I reached for my earphones, then realised that though they made me more comfortable, they also made me so much more vulnerable to anything that wished to sneak up on me.

Shoving my hair back, I slung the snuffer over my shoulder and set off into the permanent fog that drifted silently.

* * *

Okay, I didn't know how to write this chapter. I'm trying but my plot bunny's kicking up a fuss and my muse is...absent. I'll try and update soon, tell me what you think.

_Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former._


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not, will not and have never had any claim to Silent Hill.

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_**~Leo~**_

On his walk which had fast morphed into a jog, Leo had not encountered any more of the sleep-demons (his nickname for them), but he had managed to find a weapon; an abandoned revolver lying on the floor in a mysterious pool of what looked suspiciously to Leo like bodily fluids. He had picked it up gingerly, using his sleeve as a glove, and smeared the worst of the cloying gunk off down his sleeve before checking the chamber. He was in luck, sort of. Half a chamber full of bullets...well, he thought that sounded better than three shots anyway. Better than empty hands, right?

He had heard whatever had taken Emilie striding away and either it had incredibly long legs, or the fogs was insulating sound as well, because the footsteps had faded away too quickly to be those of a normal human.

He was chasing shadows now, completely lost, because in unfamiliar territory, completely alone and trying to decide who to search for first, his sense of direction upside down (not that it had been fantastic in the first place, but...); he just didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, something glinted out of the corner of his eye and he hunched into an instantly defensive crouch, trying to remember that basic self-defence Elise had had a go at teaching him so long ago. But there was no sense of movement. He glanced around, alert for any signs of an ambush, before walking slowly towards the glinting object, which seemed to be suspended a good two metres above the dirty concrete. Suddenly there _was_ movement, something taking two huge strides towards him. Leo backed away so quickly he stumbled and barely regained his balance before the monster could have taken him apart.

But it didn't.

Instead, it stood there and slowly, painstakingly slowly, brought its hands from behind its back, it's scintillating metal head tipped slightly to one side, as though to gauge his reaction. Leo's attention was immediately drawn to the gleaming object in its right hand, an enormous knife with a slightly serrated edge, gripped with the easy assurance of someone or something that has used it before, and would use it again without a second thought. A slight shift as the giant moved its body ever so slightly drew Leo's attention to what was clutched loosely in the other fist.

Emilie.

Her dark hair spilled over the giant's fist, her skin chalk white against the burnt and bloodstained tan of the triangle-head. She seemed to be barely aware of her surroundings; though her eyes were open, her head lolled disconcertingly and her entire body was limp. Suddenly, as Leo watched, the giant moved. Sliding the sword into a ragged leather sheath that was slung diagonally across its back, he raised the fist with Emilie high in the air, and reached up slowly, oh so slowly, and almost gently tangled his other hand in her hair. Suddenly he wrenched sideways.

Emilie screamed, one half-second, ear-piercing noise that plucked at Leo's heartstrings, before her neck was broken with a sharp crack that echoed around the foggy street. Leo yelled at the creature, shouting his denial even as he ran towards it, brandishing the revolver. The creature's triangular head turned so the pointed end faced in Leo's direction. Assuming that meant it was looking at him, Leo stopped abruptly in his tracks and shoved his hair off his face, noticing vaguely that despite the distinct chill in the air, he was sweating, his t-shirt sticking to his back and his hands slipping and sliding along the handle of the revolver. His face wet with tears that he didn't even realise he had shed; he aimed at the thing and fired once. The recoil took him by surprise, shaking his hands and sending the bullet wild, barely grazing the creature's bulky shoulder, adding another thin trail of blood to the tanned skin.

The creature turned, as if on a signal, and shambled away, meaty fists still clutching Emilie's corpse and the huge knife. Leo fell to his knees, completely numb. He had lost Emilie. He had probably lost Elise, if the events of a minute ago were anything to go by. And he was alone, in a Silent Hell, with no way out but the road he had come in on, and no way was he taking that road before he found Elise.

Leo sat down heavily on the side of the road, carefully putting the safety back on the gun before sliding it into the waistband of his muddied jeans so it would be out of the way and wouldn't interfere with his running. He smirked through the tears. His mind was already adjusted to the place, not _if _he had to run again, but a _when_ he would have to run, most likely in the very near future. He put his face into his hands and wondered what to do.

Suddenly there were footsteps behind him. Adrenaline surged in his veins and before he knew it, he was on his feet, revolver in hand, aiming at the oncoming shadow, but then he froze. It looked...human. It was slim, with long legs and a long ponytail swinging from side to side in rhythm with its strides. Shoving the gun into his waistband again, he ran forward to intercept the shadow, to try and catch one bony wrist and ascertain that it _was_ his Elise.

And it was!

She did look terrible, it had to be admitted, hair hanging in rats tails, tangled fringe clotted with blood that had obviously come from the long cut stretching across her pale forehead. But as he took another step towards her suddenly motionless figure, she raised a long weapon that he had previously failed to see, because she had been holding it in her other hand. A snuffer, it looked like, the head complete with an ornate, but wickedly sharp point. Leo stepped back slowly two or three paces, wondering if she thought he was an illusion. Dread saturated his cold body, turning it numb as he half-remembered a snatch of conversation:

"_Hey, honey, what are you doing?"_

"_They're escrima sticks. I'm just practising."_

_Leo watched, filled with wonder, as Elise shifted the sticks so quickly they barely seemed to move before she was thrusting them towards the target with such force that when they connected, they would surely push the target over, heavy wooden base and all, but then she suddenly managed to stop them, pulling them back at the last second, restraining herself._

_Elise turned and winked at Leo._

Leo watched Elise carefully; he loved her and he was almost positive that she would never hurt him, but if she suspected it wasn't him...he was in deep dren. He reached out a hand tentatively; extending an olive branch, as it were, but snatched it back quickly when a low, gravelly voice rattled out of her throat, recognizably hers, but it sounded as though her throat had been crushed, "Get back. You stay away from me. You're not Leo."

"Sweetheart?" Leo tried, "It is me. Look. I'm not one of those creatures...I'm not—I'm still me."

Elise pushed her hair back with the hand that wasn't holding the snuffer and looked him full in the face for the first time. Leo was shocked to see that wariness in her eyes, the fear that he thought his presence in her life had erased forever.

Damnit, if that fear, that fierce wariness, had returned, that meant she had retreated into her shell and he might have lost her forever if they couldn't get out of here soon.

* * *

Its short, I know, but I didn't know where to end it and my brain's on strike because I have a maths exam tomorrow .

It's also late. I'm sorry; things have been hectic round here what with exams and that.

Thank you to define-originality and Leolexosdarkfold for their reviews.

"_I'd rather get my brains blown out in the wild than wait in terror at the slaughterhouse."_

And on that lovely note...I bid you goodbye.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I still don't own Silent Hill

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_**Elise's POV**_

It couldn't be Leo. It had to be a trick, another monster that this ghastly world had invented. If I let down my guard it would rip me to pieces. But…it sounded so much like Leo. I wanted so much to believe it was him. And what if it was and I hurt him? Or, God forbid, killed him? I would never forgive myself. Better dead than to have that happen. Shakily, I wiped blood from my mouth with the corner of my sleeve, stalling, trying to make a decision.

Suddenly, I decided. To hell with it. If it was Leo, I was positive he would never hurt me, and if it wasn't, I hoped it would kill me quickly and Leo would find my body, realise what had happened and get out. Dropping the snuffer with a clatter that echoed around the empty street, I staggered towards Leo, and he folded me in his arms. I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar smell, and not caring that he was plastered with blood and dirt. Tears soaked the material on front of my face, and I stifled a choking sob.

"Shh. It's all going to be okay. It's okay." Leo kept repeating in my ear. I had a feeling he was trying to convince himself as well.

Suddenly, a siren sounded, wailing through the silent city, pitchy and uneven. I realised I had heard it before, but when? I was racking my brains when Leo suddenly released me and whispered in my ear, "Monsters. They're coming from both sides."

I swore under my breath and bent to retrieve my snuffer, taking a candle from my pocket and lighting it, before handing it to Leo with a smile and, "They're incredibly flammable."

Lighting another, I faced the oncoming horde of creatures. The first one staggered towards me and I dispatched it swiftly, bringing the pointed end of the snuffer down on its neck before reaching out the candle. It shrieked, a grating, high-pitched, inhuman sound that threatened to burst my eardrums, but I gritted my teeth and ground the heel of my shoe into the back of its skull where it lay at my feet, "Shut up, damn you."

I turned to see how Leo was doing and that was when four of the creatures attempted to rush me. Baring my teeth, I threw the candle at one of them, which disposed of it immediately, before turning my attention to the other three. Spinning the snuffer in my hand, I cracked one on the side of the head, before turning and thrusting it directly into the gaping maw of another. It exploded, showering acid, most of which landed on my arms and hands, unfortunately. The pain forced me to my knees and took my breath away, but then the fourth one attacked. Rushing towards me, it bent back to spew its acid at me and since my snuffer was currently unavailable, being temporarily embedded in the guts of this creature's brother; I took my other shoe off and flung it at it. Childish, but a lucky throw smacked it full in the face, knocking it flat on the floor, where it scuttled towards me, using its legs to propel itself, like some disgusting two-legged spider. That was new. I shrieked in a very girly way, retrieved my snuffer, and battered it about the head until it lay still. If it had so much as twitched, I think I would have hit it again.

Checking around me for more zombies, I checked to see how Leo was doing. He had downed two and was fighting a third. He hadn't noticed a fourth sneaking up behind him, so I ran towards it and used my momentum to propel the snuffer straight through the creature.

"Thanks." Leo said in my ear, and I was in such a twitchy state that I whirled and raised the snuffer to defend myself again.

He raised his hands in surrender and I lowered the snuffer, swallowing hard and breathing heavily, "Okay. Is there anything else we need to do before we get the hell out this place?"

Suddenly there were running footsteps approaching us. Leo raised the plank of wood he had picked up off the road and I crouched, lowering my centre of gravity as I raised the snuffer. A girl, who looked remarkably like me, but with straight hair and wearing a skirt, burst out of the fog and ran straight to Leo, "Leo. You have to help me. He's after me again."

I was confused.

But when I looked at Leo in askance, he was staring at the girl in shock, "But you—you're. I saw him—how on earth are you here, Emilie?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. I just—I found myself running away from him."

I stepped into the conversation at this point, raising my hand, "Uh, excuse me? Who are you? And who's the guy chasing you?"

Leo answered, "She's Emilie, and I found her while I was looking for you. She was being chased by this guy with a metal pyramid for a head. Then he picked her up," now he was glaring at Emilie, "and he _broke her neck_."

I checked her neck. "Doesn't look broken to me."

Leo raised an eyebrow, "Mm, I wonder why. Well, it's at this point that we realise we're well and truly stuffed, because _you_," he pointed sharply at Emilie, and she flinched back, "are supposed to be dead."

"Be that as it may, Leo, we still need to get out of here, preferably avoiding mutant zombies and a guy with a metal head. Plans, anyone?"

Leo snorted with laughter and sat down on the pavement. Suddenly there were more footsteps, heavier this time, and slower, yet somehow approaching us much faster.

Leo swore harshly under his breath, and I reprimanded him with a look and a quiet exclamation of, "Language, Leo."

He stuck his tongue out childishly, and a high-pitched giggle burst from my lips, partly from hysteria, partly from the familiarity of the gesture. He grinned back and winked at me and all of a sudden, I was convinced this was a game, or a dream...

I tried squinting my eyes tightly shut and then opening them very quickly, to see if the world would shift, somehow giving me a clue that this was all a dream, or a holographic projection, or _something_ that wasn't real. No luck, and suddenly the footsteps were practically on top of us and whatever it was emerged from the mist. Inanely, the first though that came to mind was, _Wow, I bet his vision's bad_. The second was something along the lines of, _Oh crap, we're all going to die_.

Which basically summed up my entire day.

* * *

A little short, I know, but I'm slowly finding my way around writer's block.

"_Mother is God in the eyes of a child." _– Rose, Silent Hill (Movie, 2006)


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill.

_Italics_ are dreams, flashbacks or memories.

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_**Elise's POV**_

It was the first time I had seen this creature really, but its presence felt somehow familiar, and then I realised that the clanking noise of its weighted head, and the occasional clanking of the huge knife against the ground, had always been there. Guilt hitting me in a constant wave, and here, standing in front of me, was guilt personified.

I stared at it in wonder, marvelling at its gorey beauty. Beneath the dirt and blood caked on its skin, it was a man, young and innocent.

Suddenly everything was clear. I had to go with him, because if I didn't, I would forever be haunted but what I had done, so many years ago.

_My brother's boyfriend of the time, Xavier, turned to me and grinned, eyes completely wild. I had seen him like this before, when insanity flickered in the black pits residing in his eye sockets, but now the madness had completely consumed his mind._

_Pacing slowly towards me with all the grace of a stalking leopard, he brought his hand out from behind his back, revealing, not the six inch blade I had been expecting, but a long spoon, the edges sharpened to a lethal point, glinting incongruously in the bright lights of the kitchen._

_As he stepped forward, I realised that the handle of the spoon had also been sharpened, and was already stained coppery with blood. Inanely, at first I was surprised I hadn't smelled it earlier, and then, as Xavier stepped forward, I caught a glimpse of the corpse lying on the floor behind him. Tall and rangy, with too- long, dyed-blue hair and brown eyes that had gleamed mischievously in life but now were clouded with the dust of death, my older brother lay on the floor with a gaping wound in the shape of a cross carved into his chest._

_I glanced up into the blank, unfeeling coldness of Xavier's eyes as he grinned, showing too many teeth, and said, "Stupid little bitch deserved it."_

_Before I knew what I was doing, I had flung myself forward, regardless of my own safety, and was trying desperately to wrench the spoon from his grip. We were both falling for what seemed like hours but were mere seconds, and then we hit the floor and the spoon in my hands sunk deep into the flesh of his chest, directly above his heart. His eyes widened a little, and some of the awareness returned, but before he could utter a syllable, blood trickled from the sides of his lips and he breathed one last, rasping breath as he slipped into the welcoming arms of death._

_I sat back, still straddling the boy's chest and suddenly, hysteria overcame me._

_Sobs or laughter, I couldn't tell which, shook my shoulders until the front door slammed open and my mother walked in, drunk as usual, and suddenly, for the first time in five years, ever since my father had walked out on her alcohol addiction and his children seemed vaguely sober. She opened her mouth and began to scream._

_Then she called the cops._

_I didn't answer their questions. I couldn't. I simply sat there, mindless and blank, until they accused me of murdering my brother and his lover. The motivation was jealousy and a touch of psychosis. I took it all in, but it was as though I was locked inside my own head, unable to speak or react. All my feelings were somehow muffled, like being wrapped in cotton wool._

_After a few hours, I got up and walked out._

_Oh, they didn't just let me go, but in a daze, I seemed to be stronger, simply batting them out the way. Something was calling me, and I couldn't resist the command. But somehow, after I got out of the police station, the call faded a little, and I chose to resist, instead running, like the coward I was. Getting to the other side of Virginia and getting a job, meeting Leo, and trying to forget the past. And for a while, I did._

_I loved Leo, and though I knew I wasn't good enough for him, that I was too broken to ever be fixed, I promised myself that I would give Leo everything I could, everything that I had left to give. And it did work. For seven years I managed to smother that dark call reverberating in the back of my mind._

And then came that fateful day. Could it only have been yesterday? The day before? Or had I been trapped in this nightmare forever, only to wake up now and realise that my guilt had never faded. And then to surrender myself to it completely?

Slowly, I approached Pyramid Head and caressed the side of the metal. Suddenly, with a sound like grinding bones rather than metal, the pyramid fell to pieces, the sides crashing to the pavement with a deafening clatter. There in front of me stood Xavier with the six inch blade I had originally imagined him to be holding.

I smiled and bowed to him, suddenly understanding everything.

"You didn't kill him. You tried to protect him, both of us."

A slight inclination of the head confirmed my suspicions and I walked into Xavier's cold embrace, knowing that I wasn't strong enough to give up all the blame, even with my knowledge. I choked but tried not to resist as the air was sucked from my lungs and I felt blood bubbling in my lungs and spilling from my lips. Knowing I had little time left, I summoned the last of my strength and turned to Leo, whose expressive face showed me all the torment and pain he felt. I whispered my last words in his ear, crimson liquid choking my words, "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. I—"a fountain of blood obscured my words and soaked the shoulder of his shirt. His arms slid around my waist and held me close for the last time as we whispered the words in unison, "I love you."

Then I turned and took the tanned hand Xavier offered me, walking away into the darkness and leaving the only man I had ever loved behind forever.

_**Leo's POV**_

I watched Elise walk away, and suddenly I realised that Emilie was gone too, and then I spotted a dusky figure following Elise and the triangle-headed monster (who didn't actually have a triangular head anymore), and the slender figure of Emilie merged to become one with Elise's own. Their dark hair merged, the skirt disappeared to become Elise's tight black jeans, and still they walked, disappearing into the fog. I breathed in harshly, tears pouring down his cheeks. I felt numb, somehow empty, as though most of my heart had been torn from my chest and I could almost see it being dragged behind Elise, scarlet and dripping, attached to her because I had no need of my heart without her.

I turned to go, realising that staring after her was futile, and then I made a snap decision. Spinning on my heel, I sprinted after the pair, trio? I caught up to them fairly quickly and grabbed Elise's slender upper arm, feeling the lean muscles that still resided beneath the skin. I turned her to face me, stopping their progress as I kissed her fiercely, whispering for her ears only, "Don't go. Please Elise. I need you, more than you could ever know. I don't care what you did. I don't care if this freaking place decides to punish me for trying to love you, because I do. Come home, my sweetheart."

I saw her eyes flickering between the monster and me, considering her options, but finally her eyes welled up and she turned away. I turned to go, broken beyond repair, feeling my very self start to fall apart, tears pouring down my cheeks like a saline waterfall.

I strode away, rapidly picking up speed, but then suddenly there were arms around my neck. At first I fought, my reactions accustomed to being attacked by zombies, but then I registered the slightly chipped black nail varnish on the pale hands, the ring on the left forefinger, a black onyx stone in a silver setting, the ring I had given her for her eighteenth birthday.

I turned in the circle of her arms and scooped Elise up, asking no questions, only grateful that she was coming with me, because I sensed in her embrace that it was a welcome, not a goodbye. Wordlessly, we turned and walked away, never looking back.

THE END

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www. fanfiction .net/s/5727299/1/Ashes_and_Ghosts

Okay, first off, you all have to go and read that amazing fanfiction (link situated above, take the spaces out). It's odd, twisted and told from a point of view almost more cynical than my own.

And second of all, this is the end of Blood on Your Lips. I hope you enjoyed it.

Man was made at the end of the week's work when God was tired. ~ Mark Twain


End file.
